Antique Japanese Indigo Cotton Tsutsugaki Futon Cover
April 2013 Auction by Far East Asian Art

Using a rice paste resist design technique called “tsutsugaki,” this dramatic Japanese “futongawa” or “futonji” folk textile has been skillfully hand drawn and decorated with origami cranes, pine trees and snow. Meiji period, late 19th century. In the center of the cover is a family crest (“mon”) in melon (“mokko”) form. Surrounding the mon and filling each of the four corners are pine trees in the snow accented with folded paper “origami” cranes...